Baramnan gajok

This movie was simply too much of all the wrong things. Too many people deliberately hurting each other. Too much (way too much) explicitly sexual scenes. Too many plots that were left undone. Even the end was too vague. The ending left me wondering about so many things and overall wishing they put gave more depth to each character.

The subject of this film is the condition of a woman who is married in the South Korea. The movie takes place now and shows the relationships between men, women, and the family. The strength of the movie is the fact that we pass to a case of characters to a drama. Excellent movie. The movie is perfectly directed by a new Korean filmmaker, I'm Sang-Soo. There is in the movie a special taste of humor, typically from the director (but if you know another Korean filmmakers like PARK Chan-Wook and KIM Ki-Duk, you won't be really surprise, but a little...). The actors, the woman and her husband in the movie play very good. This is the reason why we trust to this story which can exist anywhere at this moment. I recommend hotly this movie.

Right, well the concept idea behind the 2003 South Korean drama "Baramnan Gajok" (aka "A Good Lawyer's Wife") from writer and director Im Sang-soo sounded interesting. And thus, I sat down to watch the movie here in 2023, as I happened to stumble upon it by random chance.

But what seemed interesting in the synopsis was a snooze-fest of epic proportions. It was a sluggish narrative that offered nothing interesting to the audience. And running at 104 minutes, it is a massive struggle to sit through "Baramnan Gajok".

The character gallery was mundane and you don't care one bit about any of the character on the screen as they prance through the irrelevant narrative. I am sure that the actors and actresses on the cast list were talented, but they virtually had nothing to work with here.

"Baramnan Gajok" was a swing and a miss, and it is not something I would recommend for fans of the South Korean cinema to sit down and watch. Some of us suffered through this, literally, so you don't have to.

My rating of "Baramnan Gajok" lands on a two out of ten stars.

Im Sang-soo has long been considered a notable figure in the Korean New Wave, ever since his 1998 debut with Girls' Night Out.

However, based on the films I've seen, I've never quite understood why he's regarded as one of the greats in Korean cinema. The Attorney's Wife is yet another example.

This drama about a marriage in crisis leans heavily on erotic tension and benefits from solid performances by its two leads, but beyond that, it fails to leave a lasting impression.

Competent but far from essential, it lacks the depth or uniqueness that might elevate it above similar works.

My rating: ***

First, although A Good Lawyer's wife is billed as a comedy-drama, it is not. There's little humor to be found in this story of the end of a desolate marriage. Sexually abandoned by her cheating and emotionally indifferent husband, a housewife takes a casual interest in a 16 year old neighbor boy, whose raging hormones give her the passionate interest of a male, something that has disappeared in her marriage. This leads to teenage rituals involving kissing and groping. After a family tragedy, events lead to the culmination of this relationship and a starting point for a new and better life for her.

Beautifully written, acted and directed, the loose ends only add to the film's allure. Not for all tastes. Be warned this is an adult film with graphic nudity and frank dialog throughout, but very rewarding for the mature viewer.